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Friday, September 19, 2014

Where Do You Find Your Ideas?

I was browsing the internet the other day, and saw this
interesting article regarding the generation of ideas and how to get them out
of your head and down on paper. I found what it had to say quite intriguing.

See what you think about some of the suggestions:

*********

By
far the most common question asked of professional writers is where they get
their ideas. We all like to think that brilliant, fully-formed story ideas just
pop into the heads of our favorite authors. We imagine that if we could somehow
learn their secret technique then we too could crank out bestsellers as
effortlessly as they seem to.

The
truth is that you have more great ideas than you could ever write. Really, you
do! The problem isn't a lack of great ideas; it's that you haven't been taught how to free these ideas from your
brain.

Where
to Start?

Every how-to book on writing will tell you that you need to start with a solid premise, or story
idea. What they rarely tell you is where this idea comes from in the first
place. This is the cause of great frustration and confusion in beginning
writers and has helped create the myth that you either have great story ideas
or you don't. The core of this confusion is in the mistaken belief that the
creation of a solid story idea is an event rather than a process.

Beginning
writers believe that creating a work of fiction starts with a single event - a
sudden burst of inspiration that pops a fully-formed story idea into their
minds. This single event then leads to the process of expanding that idea into
a finished work. The truth is that coming up with a full, rich story idea is
itself a process. Knowing this is the key to generating more ideas than you
could ever use.

The
Secret to Endless Ideas

The
secret to generating ideas is the same "secret" that solves every
writing problem: writing itself. The old adage that "writers write"
is true in many ways, and none more so than in idea generation. Sitting in
front of a blank page and waiting for inspiration to strike is not a recipe for
success as a professional writer. Great ideas come from the act of writing.

But
if you don't yet have that great story idea, what do you write about? The truth
is once you free yourself from the concept of story ideation as an event, and
start to think of it as a process you'll be amazed at how much there is to
write about.

You actually need very little
inspiration to start writing. You can and should start with almost anything
that you find interesting. Maybe it's a location that fascinates you, a character sketch, a clever

line of dialogue, or even a great title.

As
a writer you will start to collect these story nuggets as you go through your
daily life. You'll begin to notice when something you see or hear gives you
that little tingle in the back of your brain that says there's something there
worth exploring. Pay attention to this and jot it down in your notebook - you
do have a notebook, right?

When you later sit down to write, start with
these nuggets. Just pick one and begin writing about it - what it makes you think
of, how it makes you feel, what questions it raises. And write fast. One
of the keys to idea generation (and writing in general) is to write as quickly
as you can. You don't want to analyze anything yet. You want a volume of words
on the page.

If
you find yourself writing about something completely different from the nugget
you started with, just go with it. The idea is not to stress about structure,
not to analyze where the story is going, not even to think about it as a
story yet. You want volume, varied thoughts, and a wealth of possibilities.
Don't make any decisions; just stay open and receptive to whatever comes. You
will be amazed at what's in your brain just waiting to spill out onto the page.

How
it Works

This
process of starting with story nuggets and expanding them is the core of story
idea generation. As you explore your story nuggets, start to ask questions and
follow your answers wherever they lead. Do not try to force your thoughts into
a story yet. Keep things loose and continue asking and answering questions.
Feel free to backtrack and choose different answers.

And
remember to write a lot. Volume is your friend. Ask a question, answer
it, repeat. Keep at it for a few sessions and you will be amazed at the
material you'll generate.

From
these explorations a story idea will effortlessly begin to form - it always
does. Your brain loves to put things in order, to relate one thing to another,
and to do so in interesting and surprising ways. Your mind will simply not
allow you to continue to think about this much story data without ordering it
into something understandable. It's like magic when it happens, and it
happens every single time.

By
feeding your brain a fertile mountain of images, characters and possibilities
it goes to work trying to make sense of it all. This process is the truth of
where great story ideas come from.

A
Bottomless Well of Ideas

You
will probably find yourself coming up with multiple story ideas based on the
same initial nugget. Great! Choose one idea to work on and work on it until
it's done. File the others for later use.

When
the pros say they have more ideas than they could ever work on in a lifetime
they aren't showing off (well, maybe a little), it's simply that the process
of working on one idea always creates new ideas.

That's the secret to a
lifetime of story ideas. Collect story nuggets from your daily life, expand
them into fertile story worlds, and then condense those worlds down to
beautiful, rich story ideas worth writing about.

*******

There you go.

I don’t know about you,
but I found the idea about writing fast
quite radical. Don’t get me wrong, I like to generate volume, but, I’m also
quite an analytical person who keeps checking his work a lot. I tend to skim
through the paragraph I’ve just completed, to see if it flows and blends with
what’s gone before. And I also tend to look for repeated words. I can’t help
it. But that’s me.

Perhaps I’ll try to
adjust my approach in that area, and leave the checks until it comes to the
chapter check.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

The Cambion JournalsKiss of the Succubus

Having survived the double-cross planned by Samael, the
demon king, and Fanon, his own spawn-father, Augustus Thorne is trying to come
to terms with his lot in life. Both Fanon and Agamemnon lay dead. And good
riddance! But the only woman Augustus has ever loved in his long and lonely
life is gone–driven away by the very real dangers his lifestyle brings.

However, Augustus doesn’t have the luxury of dwelling on
what might have been. An insidious new threat has emerged, one that exposes
humanity to a danger, the likes of which they have never faced before.

Surprisingly, Augustus discovers he doesn’t have to face
this threat alone. Quite by chance, he stumbles upon a mysterious woman.
Someone who appears to be the only other Cambion he has ever met?

Has he found a true soul mate at last? Or is she too good to
be true?

Are other players involved who would still like to see
Augustus Thorne dead? If so, what’s the connection?

The Cambion Journals

Rage of Augustus

They say revenge is a dish best
served cold.

Whoever they are, they’ve never
met Augustus Thorne.

Born a Cambion—half-demon,
half-human—and cursed with a terrible hunger he can barely control, Augustus
spends his long and lonely life hunting and exterminating any Incubi and
Succubae he can find. But no matter how many he destroys, he can always find
room for one more. Especially if it’s the foul scum who raped his mother,
Augustus’s own father, Fanon.

Driven by rage, his quest leads
Augustus through the centuries and around the world until fate suddenly hands
him his heart’s desire.

But things are not as they appear
and the revelations Augustus uncovers are mind boggling. When he finally
corners his father in London, events take an unexpected twist.

My latest Blog for Astronaut.com

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The World of The IX Series

About Me

I am a Royal Marine and Police veteran from the UK who now lives on the beautiful Greek island of Kos with my wife, Annette, and our growing family of rescue cats.
As creator of the critically acclaimed IX Series, and Hell Bound & Hell Hounds, (novels forming part of Janet Morris' Heroes in Hell universe), I also have the privilege of being a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the British Fantasy Society, and the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers.
When not working, I devote some of my spare time to assisting NASA with one of their remote research projects, and supporting charities. I also write educational articles for Astronaut.com and Amazing Stories.
On weekends, you might also find me drinking Earl Grey Tea whilst dressed as Captain Jean Luc Picard.
Make it so...
If you would like to find out more, just follow the links at the top of the page.

The Future of Science Fiction

The IX Series

The Senate & The People of Rome

The IX

International #1 Bestseller

The IX

The IX, an epic novel spanning past, present, and future:The ultimatum:Fight or die.Roman legionnaires, far from home, lost in the mists of Caledonia; a US cavalry company on a special mission for Presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln; and a Special Forces unit from the 21st century, desperate to prevent nuclear catastrophe:Snatched away from Earth at the moment of death to a failing planet far away, these misfit soldiers must unite against a relentless foe, where the cost of victory may be more than they're willing to pay. How far will they go to stay alive?From Perseid Press.

Exordium of Tears

Book 2 of The IX Series

Exordium of Tears

Fight or die.That simple yet brutal reality is the tenet by which the refugees from Earth – including the fabled lost 9th Legion of Rome; the 5th Company, 2nd Mounted Cavalry Unit; and the Special Forces Anti-Terrorist Team – were forced to live by while the Horde menace existed. Believing that the threat is over, thesurvivors now yearn to settle down, start families, and reclaim the lives stolen from them.But such aspirations might remain beyond their reach, for a shadow looms on the rose-tinted horizon of new beginnings.The release of the re-genesis matrix has done much to foster a restoration of exuberance across Arden. Along with a resurgence in floral and faunal diversity comes the results of splicing the Ardenese and human genomes: transmutation. Ametamorphosis of stunning magnitude that not only affects the living, but those still is stasis as well.Recognizing the emergence of a new hybrid species, the Architect – the arcane AI construct tasked with the preservation of the Ardenese race – responds by unlockingpreviously hidden and inaccessible areas of the city. It also releases an archive of sealed state secrets. Such revelations are eagerly perused, whereupon a shocking discovery is made.Prior to the fall, it was common knowledge amongst the Senatum (the highest levels of Arden’s government) that not all the rabid Horde had joined in the rampage across the stars toward Arden.Realizing that the peril still exists, the newly reformed administration elects to respond in earnest. Existing resources are utilized, suitable candidates are chosen, and a flotilla of ships is sent out to secure, quarantine, and reclaim the outer colonies. A mammoth and hazardous undertaking. And nowhere more so than at the planet from where the outbreak was known to have originated – Exordium – for there, the ancient Horde are not only supremely evolved and highly organized, but are capable of a level of lethal sophistication, the likes of which has never been witnessed before.It is into this kiln of incendiary potential that the cream of Arden’s fighting forces is deployed.Worlds are torn asunder, suns destroyed, and star systems obliterated. Yes, tragedy is forged, in a universe spanning conflict which proves once again that…

Death is onlythe beginning of the adventure.

Prelude to Sorrow

The IX Series

Prelude to Sorrow

The task force dispatched from Arden to eradicate the Horde menace failed, and for those few left alive, the tenet by which they have survived for so long resounds as never before.

Fight or Die!

Now marooned, out of time and out of place, the survivors lick their wounds and struggle to recover while the Horde gather their strength for a final strike that will change the course of history forever. The fate of the galaxy – and more – hangs in the balance.

But fate, it seems, isn’t done with the Ninth, and our heroes find themselves forced to mount a last-ditch attempt to end the threat once and for all.

Will the darkness be vanquished, or will our heroes’ efforts finally signal the beginning of the end of their adventure?

The Glorious Ninth

Fight or Die!

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Fire Asylum Admissions

Welcome to the Fire Asylum. This is truly a safe place for what the world contends is insane behavior. The activities here are specifically designed with the firefighter in mind. Your training here, or treatment, may seem tough and challenging. Remember that it is for your own good. Here are a few words from our director of activities to inspire your stay.

"In our silent crucible, we are tested by fire. In that place where life can and does change forever, peace is given like a gift to the ones who have endured."

Hell Bound

International #1 Bestseller

Hell Bound

In hell, none of the condemned believes they deserve to be there. And that’s fine, so long as they’re not foolish enough to try and do anything about it. For those that do, there’s always Satan’s Reaper–and chief bounty hunter–Daemon Grim.Feared throughout the many layers of the underverse, no one in their right mind dares to cross him.However, when Grim discovers that someone has attempted to evade injustice, and seems hell-bent on gaining access to ancient angelic artifacts proscribed since the time of the original rebellion in heaven, circumstances point to the fact they may be doing just that.The question is...why?Thus begins an investigation that leads Grim throughout the many contradictory and baffling levels of the underworld, where he unearths a conspiracy that is not only eating its way like a cancer through the highest echelons of Hellion society,but one which threatens the very stability of Satan’s rule.

As you can imagine, Grim’s response is bloody, brutal, and despicably wicked.

Pieces of Hate******************It's sink or swim in this swashbuckling adventure where Daemon Grim, Satan's Reaper, is sent on a quest to recover booty of great value to His Infernal Majesty.But what lurks at the center of Skull Island? Is it truly treasure, or will there be fools gold aplenty in a tale that proves once and for all that, when it comes to burying something in your chest, blood money is the only currency the Reaper recognizes.

Hell Hounds

Coming October 31st

Hell Hounds

Feared throughout the many circles of the underworld, Satan’s Reaper – and chief bounty hunter – Daemon Grim, is known as a true force to be reckoned with.

Having eliminated a major player in the uprising eating its way like a cancer through the underbelly of hell, Grim is stunned to discover he cannot afford to rest on his laurels, for the rebellion runs far deeper than was ever imagined. New players have emerged – denizens with uncanny abilities – who seem determined to support Chopin and Tesla’s revolutionary agenda.

Ever keen to test their mettle, the Sibitti – personified weapons of the ancient Babylonian plague god, Erra – also appear eager to capitalize on the growing unrest, and set about maneuvering events in order to place themselves in direct opposition to Grim’s investigation.

And if that was not cause for concern enough, there’s an insane angel on the loose, a creature as hell-bent on creating havoc as he is to return home.

How do Grim and his rabid pack of bounty hunters respond?

Baying for blood – doesn’t even begin to describe it.

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